Ponyville Confidential
by Dede42
Summary: The Cutie Mark Crusaders are still trying to get their cutie marks and they decide to join the school paper. But when they start spilling ponies' secrets in their gossip column, things get dicy. Can the fillies redeem themselves in time?
1. Chapter 1: NEWSPAPER MANIA

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Ponyville Confidential

A/N: Hello, world and welcome back to the next episode of _MLP: Friendship is Magic_. Now, I had a rattling experience back on Saturday, but I'll spare you the details, save that it happened in front of my client, and it left me feeling _really_ uncomfortable. If you want the full story, send me a PM, and I'll share it with you. Anyway, time to see how the Cutie Mark Crusaders are doing with their quest to get their cutie marks. Onward!

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: NEWSPAPER MANIA**

It was a clear sunny day in Ponyville, and over at the school, the bell had just rang to let the fillies and foals know that it was time to go home. The students exited the school, many of them chatting excitedly since a foal named Featherweight had just gotten his cutie mark, and he was very happy about it.

"Can you believe Featherweight got his cutie mark?" Sweetie Belle asked as she and Scootaloo came out of the school watching the pale yellow pegasus foal show off his cutie mark, which was a white feather. "_Featherweight_! Before _us_!"

In the school yard, the foals were cheering their classmate on, and they were also admiring his cutie mark.

"Great cutie mark, Featherweight!" Snips exclaimed, impressed.

Snails chuckled. "Looking good!"

Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle sighed, disappointed that they still didn't have their own cutie marks.

"I give up…" Sweetie Belle declared, dejected.

Just then, Apple Bloom came bounding out of the school and tossed a folded newspaper at her friends' hooves. "I've got it!" she exclaimed. "The answer to all our problems!"

"The Foal Free Press?" Sweetie Belle asked, staring at the school newspaper. "How's the school paper gonna get us our cutie marks?"

Apple Bloom took a deep breath to answer when-

"Move your caboose!" Granny Smith called out.

Apple Bloom flushed. "Uh-oh. That's Granny Smith. Gotta run!" And she ran off to catch up with her grandmother.

Scootaloo looked thoughtfully at the newspaper. "Maybe there's something to this newspaper idea," she remarked.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Guess it's worth a shot…"

* * *

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle spend hours trying everything that they can think of that could involve newspapers: they tried ripping up the newspapers in order to pack up items for Rarity to ship out, and yet there was no sign of a cutie mark on their flanks. So, they next helped birds fix up their nests with stripes of newspapers and still no cutie marks. They tried _everything_, and nothing produced a cutie mark, not even making a large paper boat to sail down the river, and they ended up sinking when it got soaked.

* * *

When they got to the treehouse, they found Apple Bloom seated at the table, reading a copy of the school newspaper, and when she looked up, she was surprised to see her friends covered in mud and bits of newspapers.

"Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle said, annoyed. "Your newspaper idea was nothing but a big bust."

"We tried everything," Scootaloo agreed, scowling, "from papier-mâché to making birds' nests, and nothing worked."

They were confused when Apple Bloom started laughing, almost falling out of her seat. "What's so funny?"

Apple Bloom managed to calm down enough to share her actual idea. "What I meant was, we should _write _for the paper!" she informed them, tapping them on the head with the rolled up paper she'd been reading and pointed to a picture of a newspaper reporter. "We can get our cutie marks as journalists!"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stared in shock at the obvious idea, and then they both groaned and face-planted. Why didn't they think of that sooner?!

* * *

The next day at school, the Cutie Mark Crusaders waited eagerly for the bell to ring and signal the end of school, and when it did, Miss Cheerilee made an announcement.

"Okay, class, see you tomorrow!" she called out to the students leaving through the door. "Oh, for those of you who want to join the newspaper staff, stay here, because we're meeting right now!" And she thumped her hoof on her desk.

"Cutie marks in journalism!" Apple Bloom squealed.

"Such a good idea," Scootaloo agreed, grinning and looking forward to writing her first news-worthy story.

Once the door was shut, Cheerilee smiled at the remaining students. "Welcome, everypony," she said. "Now, as you know, our editor-in-chief graduated last year-"

Sweetie Belle waved her hoof in the air. "Oh, oh, oh, ohohohoh!"

"Yes?" the school teacher asked.

"What's an editor-in-chief?" Sweetie Belle inquired.

"Good question, Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee complimented and explained. "I like those reporter's instincts. The Foal Free Press is a student-run paper. I'm only involved as an adviser, so the editor-in-chief is the pony in charge, from choosing the stories to making sure it gets to press on time. Now, as I said, we have a new editor this year!"

The door opened and the students gasped when Diamond Tiara entered the classroom. "Diamond Tiara?!"

Diamond Tiara smirked at them as she went to the desk. "Hm."

Cheerilee moved from the desk so that the filly could sit down, and she headed for the door. "I'll leave you alone now to discuss everypony's assignments. Have fun!" she called out before leaving and closing the door behind her.

The moment that the teacher was gone, Diamond Tiara bucked the wall so that the projector sheet dropped down with her photo on the sheet. "Alright, listen up," she said sternly. "The Foal Free Press is a _joke_."

The students exchanged confused and uneasy looks. "Huh?"

"Nopony at this school takes it seriously," Diamond Tiara informed her classmates. "Well I, the editor-in-chief in charge, am going to deliver us to newfound glory!"

An uneasy silence fell over the group and then Truffle called out, "Yay!"

"First things first," said Diamond Tiara and looked over the group. "Where's the staff photographer?" And when Featherweight waved, she snapped at him. "Get out there and document _everything_. _I'll _decide what's important." She waited until the pegasus foal left the classroom with his camera before she continued. "The rest of you, I want hard-hitting news and interesting think pieces," she ordered. "No more Namby-Pamby stories like last year's editor."

Ruby Pinch raised a hoof. "But Namby-Pamby was a great editor."

"Well, there's a new regime now, and I want juicy stories," Diamond Tiara snapped and she kicked the wall again, making her photo disappear. "The juicier, the better! Now get out there and report!" And she left the classroom.

"Let's get out of here, girls," Scootaloo suggested as their classmates hurried out of the room, and she didn't want to be a reporter anymore. "Maybe we can try packing boxes again."

"But this could be our last chance to earn our cutie marks!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "If we really are supposed to be journalists, isn't it worth a little grief?" And Apple Bloom nodded in agreement.

Scootaloo sighed. "I guess you're right," she reluctantly agreed. "We can take a little bit of Diamond Tiara for a lifetime of cutie marks."

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both cheered. "C'mon! Let's go get these marks!"

* * *

Eager to write her first story, Sweetie Belle went to interview Rarity, who was working on a new project, and it turned out that the only way Sweetie Belle could get the interview was to let her big sister use her as a model for the outfit that had large blue/green feathers on it. How embarrassing!

* * *

Scootaloo decided to write her first story about one of the nests she'd help make, which was filled with newborn baby birds. She climbed onto the branch for a closer look, and ended up falling off into a mud puddle. Gross!

* * *

Apple Bloom tried to interview Granny Smith about the history of Ponyville, but she first had to endure hours of her grandmother going through stacks of photo albums filled with baby pictures of, and there were _a lot_ of books to go through. Super embarrassing!

* * *

A/N: I tried doing the whole newspaper thing in sixth grade, and while I came up with a great story, the newspaper itself was a disaster. Here's hoping Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo have better luck, even with Diamond Tiara being in charge. I will see you all on Thursday. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	2. Chapter 2: ENTER GABBY GUMS

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Ponyville Confidential

A/N: Hello, world and welcome back to _MLP: Friendship is Magic!_ Yup, it's time for the next chapter and to see how the Cutie Mark Crusaders are doing with being newspaper reporters. Onward!

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO: ENTER GABBY GUMS**

The next morning, Diamond Tiara was in the school basement, where she was looking through possible stories to print in the newspaper while Rumble struggled to get ink in the printer, and other fillies and foals were typing away at their typewriters when the Cutie Mark Crusaders entered with their first stories.

"I hope you've got something, because everything so far is unusable," Diamond Tiara said curtly, tossing aside a crumbled paper ball to and looked over their articles. ""_Baby Birds Born"_? "_Rarity's Hot New Hat"_? "_Ponyville: The Early Years"_!? _Oh_!" she groaned, tossing the reports aside with disgust. "I don't know what you call this, but it sure isn't news!"

"We just… thought…" Sweetie Belle stammered.

Diamond Tiara jumped down from the desk to confront them. "Get something else on my desk by the end of the day, and it better be _juicy_!" she ordered and then she _literally_ threw them out of the basement.

* * *

Landing in a heap outside the basement, the Cutie Mark Crusaders sat up with dizzy expressions, and they shook their heads to clear them. Meanwhile behind them, Featherweight was busy taking pictures of everything in the school yard, taking the order to document everything _very_ seriously.

"Now what?" Scootaloo wondered. "Do you know what I had to do to get that story?"

Apple Bloom shuddered. "Oh, you don't even wanna know what I had to sit through."

Sweetie Belle opened her mouth and then paused when she heard arguing. Following the sounds, she peered around the corner of the school, and she snickered when she saw that Snips and Snails were struggling against sticky pink gum that were stuck to their backsides.

"Oh! Get it off me, Snails!" Snips wailed, trying to break free.

"Eh, you get it off _me_, Snips?" Snails asked hopefully and he also tried tugging.

Snips almost got dragged across the ground. "Aah! Stop it!" he protested. "You are making it worse!" He tried to pull the gum off and it got stuck to his hoof. "_Nah_! Oh, great."

"I'll get it," Snails grunted, walking forward, only to have the gum yank him back so that he and Snips were back-to-back, and even more stuck then ever.

"Aah!"

"Get it off! _Get it off_!"

Sweetie Belle giggled at the sight and got an idea. "Hey, Featherweight, c'mere!" she called out to him, and she was still giggling when he came over after taking a picture of a family of squirrels. "Take a few pictures of this, then meet me during lunch," she instructed and he went to take pictures of Snips and Snails while she turned to her friends. "Girls, I have our story."

* * *

Later that same day, nearly every filly and foal were reading the school newspaper, and they were giggling over the photo of Snips and Snails stuck together by gum that was on the front cover.

"_Snips and Snails in Bubblegum Veils!_"Noi read, giggling. "And that's when the biggest jokester in school really stuck his hoof in it – literally!"

Green Daze was also giggling. "The Foal Free Press is usually just boring news and stuff."

"So funny!" Cotton Cloudy agreed.

Some of the other students were getting Snips and Snails to sign their copies of the school papers, and the two foals were happy to do so. They were also freed of the gum, and they both now had patches of skin and hair missing.

"Our mothers always told us we'd end up in the papers someday," Snips remarked, smiling.

"Yeah, and look!" Snails exclaimed, showing off their shaved backsides. "We finally got the gum out!" And they both laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile in the basement of the school, Diamond Tiara was thrilled by the column that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had written, and she was giving them high praise for doing what _she _wanted.

"Your column is a sensation!" she squealed. "I don't want you doing news anymore. I want more columns like _this_." She glanced thoughtfully out the nearest window at their classmates on the playground. "Columns about ponies and their private lives, the things they do when they think they're alone. You three are my new gossip columnists! And I _love _the way you signed it! "Gabby Gums"…" She sighed happily. "That was a stroke of genius!"

Sweetie Belle beamed. "We couldn't fit all of our names, so we decided to create one for all three of us."

"Well, I want _more _Gabby Gums!" Diamond Tiara ordered. "Nice work, girls."

"We sure seem to have a gift for gossip," Scootaloo remarked, happy with their success.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "If we can write a few more of these Gabby Gums columns, we'll earn our cutie marks for sure!"

Excited by the prospect, the Cutie Mark Crusaders high-hooves. "Woo-hoo!"

* * *

However, when the Cutie Mark Crusaders went outside to work on their next Gabby Gams column, they found themselves suffering from a severe case of writer's block, and they sat at the picnic table, trying to come up with a new article, but they were coming up with blanks.

"Scootaloo?" sweetie Belle asked. "Do you have _anything_?"

Scootaloo shook her head. "Nope."

Sweetie Belle sighed, not liking that answer. "Apple Bloom?"

Apple Bloom sighed and shook her head. "Sorry."

"Let's face it," Scootaloo complained while watching Snips and Snails messing around with more bubblegum, but she knew that they couldn't run the same story twice, "nothing very juicy happens at this school."

Sweetie Belle groaned and buried her face in the table. "We're doomed." And her friends agreed, burying their own faces in the table, too.

* * *

A/N: Being a reporter isn't easy, right? Anyway, I will see you all on Tuesday for the next, and regular, update. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	3. Chapter 3: GOSSIP GOOD OR BAD?

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Ponyville Confidential

A/N: Hello, world and welcome back to _MLP: Friendship is Magic!_ Yup, it's time for the next chapter and to see what the Cutie Mark Crusaders will do for their next article. Onward!

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE: GOSSIP GOOD OR BAD?**

The next morning at the boutique, Rarity was walking through her show room with a stack of fabric when she tripped over her little sister's schoolbag. Getting up, she magically picked up her sister's bag.

"Ohh, Sweetie Belle…" she tsked since this wasn't the first time she'd tripped over her sister's belongings. "Was she raised in a barn or something?" She blinked when the bag fell open, revealing the school paper, and when she reached for it, she stopped herself. "Oh, you really shouldn't be snooping, Rarity…" she scolded herself while magically setting the bag aside.

She turned her back on it for a few seconds, and then she dove for the bag to get the newspaper. "Oh, but it's so much fun, Rarity," she told herself and read the Gabby Gums column. "Hello… what's this?" She giggled at the photo of Snips and Snails stuck together. "Gum on their bum!" She started laughing. "Too rich!"

Sweetie Belle came down the stairs, having been drawn out of her room by the laughter. "Can you please keep it down with all the laughter?" she asked. "I'm trying to– hey!" she protested and tried to get the newspaper and her bag from her sister.

Rarity jumped away, stuffing the newspaper into the bag, but she didn't return it to her sister. "Bleh! I, I was just-"

"Are you snooping through my saddlebag?" Sweetie Belle demanded, trying to get her bag back, and finally she twang her big sister's horn to disrupt her magic and rescued her bag. "How dare you!" she objected when her sister swiped the newspaper.

"Oh, but this Gabby Gums column is so funny!" Rarity exclaimed, dodging her sister in order to ready the paper again.

Sweetie Belle stopped in her tracks, surprised. "You actually _like _the school paper?" she inquired.

Rarity nodded. "It's so much juicier than anything in the boring old Ponyville Express," she confirmed, giggling over the photo of Snips and Snails. "Could I borrow this to show my friends?" she requested.

"Your friends would wanna read the Foal Free Press?" sweetie Belle asked, getting an idea.

"Oh, they'd just _love _Gabby Gums!" Rarity agreed. "Who is she, anyway? I've never heard of her before. Is she a new-?" She looked up to see that her little sister had run off._ 'Now where did she run off to?'_

* * *

Sweetie Belle reached the school and found her friends in the schoolyard. "We gave up too quickly, girls," she announced. "Forget trying to squeeze stories out of this school. We need to expand!" And she pointed to the town.

"We can find all kinds of great gossip out there in Ponyville!" Apple Bloom agreed, excited.

"We'll need to tell Featherweight to start working overtime," Sweetie Belle added.

Scootaloo grinned widely. "Sweetie Belle, you're a genius!"

* * *

During recess, the Cutie Mark Crusaders headed into town to scope out the ponies and see if they could find something juicy for their Gabby Gums column, dragging Featherweight with them to take pictures for the column. Eventually they hit paid dirt when they heard loud crying coming from the jewelry store, where they found Mr. and Mrs. Cake struggling with the crying and wailing Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake.

* * *

"_Pound and Pumpkin Cake Trip to the Store Ends in Tears,_" Diamond Tiara read, giggling over the photo of the couple struggling with their upset babies. "Gabby Gums comes through again!"

Just then, Truffle came running up, and he was panting. "The Ponyville news stand wants to carry the Foal Free Press!" he announced. "Ponies keep coming by and asking for it!"

Diamond Tiara was thrilled to hear this. "Send 'em twenty copies, and if they run out of those, we'll send 'em twenty more!" she ordered and Truffle ran off while she turned her attention to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "You three are doing a great job for this paper. Keep those columns coming!"

"This is great!" the three fillies squealed and they hurried out to get more stories to print in the paper.

* * *

Over the next few days, ponies all over Ponyville were snatching up copies of the Foal Free Press to read the latest article by Gabby Gums, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were busy writing up the articles as fast as they could find stories to write up.

* * *

Over at the spa, Rarity and her friends were having a relaxing time and reading the latest articles in the Foal Free Press.

"Oh, this is the life, isn't it, girls?" she asked, sighing with content as one of the spa ponies used a nail file on her hooves. "The best hooficure I've ever had!"

"You said it, ooh…" Applejack agreed as a spa pony began pounding her back.

"After making back-to-back orders of firework potions for five different events, this is worth it," Sunrise Blossom also agreed, relaxing on one of the tables as a spa pony filed her hooves while another spa pony covered her face with mud, and her eyes were covered with cucumbers.

Spike sighed happily. "I don't know if I've ever been so relaxed," he declared when the door was suddenly banged out.

"You guys!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, scaring the baby dragon and the cucumbers that'd been covering his eyes were sent flying and landed on her eyes again, startling her. "The new Gabby Gums just came out!" she announced, holding up the newspaper that had a photo of Trixie on it. ""_The Great and Powerful Trixie's Secrets Revealed!_""

"We already read that one, Rainbow Dash," Rarity informed the blue pegasus. "Come on, relax, have a hooficure, it feels amazing."

Rainbow Dash licked off one of the cucumbers and swallowed it. "Did you forget who you're talking to?" she asked, scoffing. "The day I get a hooficure is the day I turn in my daredevil license. Besides, _I _haven't read this Gabby Gums yet."

Hopping off the couch, Spike retrieved both cucumbers, forcing the blue pegasus' mouth to get the one she'd swallowed. "Well, do it quietly, will ya?" he grumbled and lied back down, sighing. "Some of us are trying to unwind!"

"I like Gabby Gums too, but don't you think she can be a little mean?" Twilight Sparkle wondered as one of the spa ponies applied lotion to her hooves as she looked at the latest edition of the Foal Free Press.

Applejack shook her head. "She's not mean, Twilight, she's a hoot!"

Twilight Sparkle wasn't confused and showed them the article she was reading. ""_Celestia Just Like Us_"?" she asked skeptically, looking at a photo of Princess Celestia caught eating a cupcake. "Gabby Gums doesn't value anypony's privacy."

"I kinda have to agree with Twilight," Sunrise Blossom agreed. "It really does seem Gabby Gums is sharing stuff that really shouldn't be shared."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh, lighten up, Twilight, Sunrise, there's nothing but harmless gossip!"

"You sure?" Sarah asked skeptically from the massage table next to Applejack's. "Because, there's good gossip _and_ there's bad gossip, and some of what Gabby Gums' writes tends to lean toward bad gossip, and I've dealt with both."

With a splash, Pinkie Pie popped out of the hot tub to look at her friends. "Yeah, Twilight, Sunrise, Sarah, I mean listen to this one," she said, holding up the newspaper she'd been reading. ""_Mayor Not Naturally Gray!_"" And on the front was a photo of Mayor Mare with hair that was mostly white, saved for some pink. "The _Mayor _in a mane dyeing scandal? Who wouldn't wanna read that?"

"I just can't help feeling sorry for the ponies featured in her columns," Twilight Sparkle remarked, still not entirely convinced. "It's gotta be a little embarrassing."

"Are you kidding?" Rainbow Dash asked, laughing. "Do you know how _awesome _it is to get your name in the paper?"

"Rainbow, why don't you join me in one of these delicious hooficures?" Rarity offered once again.

The blue pegasus didn't look convinced. "It's that good, huh?" she asked and the purple unicorn nodded. "Well, maybe just one little hoof." She flew over to one of the couches settling down to let a spa pony could file her hooves, unaware that Featherweight was spying on the ponies. However, just as the spa pony was about to file her hoof, she yelped, and she jumped off the couch. "Forget it, I don't like ponies touching my hooves," she declared. "Man… I'd love it if Gabby Gums did a story on me."

"She did one on me," Spike said casually.

"_What?!"_ the ponies yelped, scaring the baby dragon once again.

* * *

A/N: I tend to avoid gossip since half the time the source it comes from tends to be fake news. I will see you all on Thursday with the next chapter. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	4. Chapter 4: HURT FEELINGS EVERYWHERE

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Ponyville Confidential

A/N: Hello, world and welcome back to the next installment of _MLP: Friendship is Magic!_ Yup, it's time for the next chapter and to see what will happen next to the CMC and their careers as newspaper reporters. Plus what price they might pay because of the gossip itself.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR: HURT FEELINGS EVERYWHERE**

"'Exclusive! _Local Dragon Tells All!_"Apple Bloom recited with a big smile as Diamond Tiara read their latest article, which was about their interview of the baby dragon. "Spike opens up about Canterlot, naps, and his favorite jams!'"

"It's our best column yet!" Scootaloo added proudly.

Diamond Tiara, however, _wasn't _impressed and dropped the article on her desk before jumping on top to confront her classmates. "More like your _worst _column yet!" she snapped, and threw the article at them. "Gabby Gums didn't become the biggest thing in Ponyville with namby-pamby stories like this!" She then jumped down and stalked out of the room.

Apple Bloom looked at the article and sighed. "Yeah, she's right," she reluctantly agreed. "This column is a little softer than our usual gossip."

"Were you guys feeling guilty about all the gossip too?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Like… maybe we could be hurting other ponies' feelings?"

"Yeah, I didn't wanna say anything because everypony loves Gabby Gums so much," Apple Bloom agreed, disappointed, "but… I was sorta hoping we could start writing more stories like this one."

Scootaloo nodded. "Me too."

"If we're gonna get our cutie marks," Sweetie Belle decided, "we've got to give the ponies what they want." And the Cutie Mark Crusaders did a sad high-hoof.

"Awww…"

* * *

The next day, the six ponies were hanging out in Sugarcube Corner, where they were reading the latest edition of the Foal Free Press, and this time, they weren't too happy about what Gabby Gams was writing in her column.

"'_Applejack Asleep on the Job!_"" Applejack read aloud, and she was _really _upset at both the headline and the photo of her taking a nap while surrounded by baskets of apples. "Can y'all believe this?! And this one: "_Big Macintosh – What's He Hiding?_"" And this had the photo of Big Mac playing with the doll that Twilight Sparkle had enchanted months back. "Who the hay does this Gabby Gums think she is?!"

Twilight Sparkle was scowling at the article about her. "Listen to this one," she read aloud. ""_Twilight Sparkle: I Was a Canterlot Snob. _A well-placed scaly source close to the prissy pony says Twilight Sparkle thinks Ponyville is nothing but muddy roads and low-class rubes." Spike!" she snapped and the baby dragon yelped and belched, burning the newspaper he'd been reading to ashes. "How could you say such a thing?"

"Well, I didn't!" Spike protested, wondering how the reporter had gotten this information without his knowledge. "Gabby Gums made that up! I never said anything like that!"

"Everypony, please!" said Rarity, exasperated by how her friends were acting. "She's just a harmless schoolpony engaged in a little harmless gossip. You're really making too big a deal out of this."

"You call _this_ harmless gossip?" Sunrise Blossom asked angrily, showing them a photo of herself when she'd accidentally mixed two incorrect ingredients together and had a minor explosion that'd left her mane standing on end and her face a bright green while covered with soot. "'_Sunrise Blossom a Big Dum-Dum!_'" she read aloud, clearly upset.

Rarity was taken aback by that one. "Well, maybe Gabby Gums is crossing a few lines," she admitted.

"A _few _lines?" Twilight Sparkle repeated angrily. "But it's _all _lies! Gabby Gums prints whatever she wants! She doesn't care whose reputation she destroys!" She showed them another article. ""_Fluttershy Has Tail Extensions!_"" And the yellow pegasus flushed before hiding herself from view. ""_Pinkie Pie is an Out-of-Control Party Animal!_""

"_What?!_" Pinkie Pie yelped and read the column. "It's true!" she wailed, tears flowing out of her eyes. "I _do _have a problem!"

Grabbing another newspaper, Twilight Sparkle read the column. "Oh, look! According to _this _one, the Cakes are breaking up!"

Mrs. Cake, who had a tray of cupcakes, and Mr. Cake came running out of the kitchen with alarmed expressions. "We are?!"

The ponies jumped when the door crashed open, and a floating pile of newspapers entered.

_`"Well, my life is officially _over_,"`_ Rainbow Dash announced, her voice was muffled until she dropped the pile on the floor. "Gabby Gums has made it to Cloudsdale."

Twilight Sparkle picked up one of the newspapers and read the column. ""_Rainbow Dash: Speed Demon or Super Softie?_"?!" she yelped, staring at a photo of the blue pegasus about to get one of her hooves filed at the spa.

"I grabbed as many copies as I could, but it was too late!" Rainbow Dash announced, crying. "I'm a laughing stock!"

"See, Rarity?" the purple unicorn asked, fixing the grey unicorn with a disapproving look. "Your so-called 'harmless gossip' can be very hurtful!"

"Honestly, you ponies have no sense of humor," said Rarity, still trying to see the bright side as she turned the page of the newspaper she'd been reading. "So she tweaks a few ponies every now and then, maybe they deser-" she stopped and gasped when she found a photo of herself on her couch and a dramatic pose. "_I'll destroy her!" _she shrieked, reading the headline. ""_The Drama-Queen Diaries_"… She's reprinted my diary! How could Gabby Gums possibly get access to my private diary?!"

"We've got to put a stop to this once and for all!" Twilight Sparkle declared. "Sweetie Belle's on the newspaper staff. Maybe she knows who Gabby Gums is."

The grey unicorn gasped and shook her head. "My sister would never associate with anyone as beastly as Gabby Gums!" she snapped, walking to the door. "I resent you even suggesting such a thing, Twilight! Why, she's the most innocent, most lovely-"

* * *

Rarity returned to the boutique and opened her sister's saddlebags. "–_most evil pony in Equestria!_"she shrieked when she found her diary in the bag. "How could my own sister steal my private diary? How could my own sister be… Gabby Gums?"

Grabbing her diary from the bag, she hurried upstairs and found her little sister in her bedroom, doing homework. "_Et tu, Gabby Gums_?!" she demanded.

Sweetie Belle gasped. "You know?! How'd you find out?!" she yelped.

Rarity revealed both the diary and the newspaper with the column. "The gilded pages of your betrayal!" she announced, disappointed and angry at the same time.

Sweetie Belle flushed. "Oh, yeah."

"How could you do this to me?!" Rarity shrieked, making her little sister cower a little. "You stole my secret diary and published it for all the world to read! Gossip can be a very hurtful thing. It is an invasion of privacy, just like when I snooped through your saddlebag. You didn't like that much, did you?" she demanded.

Sweetie Belle sighed, her ears drooping with shame. "No…"

"What is important is that you understand how your column makes the ponies that you're writing about feel!" her big sister snapped.

"I _do _understand," Sweetie Belle confessed, "and we've all been feeling guilty, but we just want our cutie marks so badly!"

Rarity sighed. "Do you really think that writing nasty things and making everypony feel horrible is your destiny?" she asked, mellowing her tone.

Sweetie Belle thought about that and then shook her head. "Well, when you put it that way…"

* * *

Tracking down and talking with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, the Cutie Mark Crusaders went to see Diamond Tiara and they told her how they've decided that they wanted to stop being Gabby Gums.

"_No_! I _won't _let you quit!" Diamond Tiara shrieked, glaring at the three fillies.

"But the gossip we've been printing is hurting everypony's feelings!" Apple Bloom pointed out.

Diamond Tiara's face went red. "_Feelings_?!" she repeated, holding up one of the newspapers. "I don't care about _feelings_! Gabby Gums is my bread and butter, and I'm not gonna let you goody-two-horseshoes take that away from me!" And she turned her chair away.

"We're sorry, Diamond Tiara," Sweetie Belle said firmly, "but we've made our decision."

"Yeah, you can't force us to keep gossiping," Scootaloo agreed.

Suddenly smirking, Diamond Tiara turned back to face them, holding a folder. "When you see these… you may not want to quit after all," she said slyly and tossed it to the floor, revealing photos of the three fillies.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders gasped when they saw that the photos were of Sweetie Belle in the outfit that Rarity had made her try on during their interview, of Scootaloo in the mud under the bird nest, and a photo of Apple Bloom as a baby with a diaper on her head. How had their classmate gotten those photos?!

"I told Featherweight to document _everything_…" Diamond Tiara reminded them with a smug expression while they were outright horrified. "…And that's exactly what he did." She then picked the folder back up, stuffing the photos into it.

Scootaloo gasped and tried to grab it. "Gimme those!"

"Sorry, girls, property of the Foal Free Press," Diamond Tiara said smugly, holding them out of reach. "And if Gabby Gums really does go into retirement, I'll need something to fill that empty column space. Now get out there and _bring me more Gabby Gums_!" And she watched with evil pleasure as the Cutie Mark Crusaders left with sad and defeated expressions.

* * *

A/N: Man, talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place. Like I said before, when it comes to gossip, I generally avoid it in real life since too often it comes from fake news sources, and with so much fake news out there, it's becoming harder to figure out which is real and which is fake.

Well, I will see you all on Monday because I have a morning shift at the movie theater on Tuesday since things are picking up here in the states with the big summer movies coming out and school being out for the summer, too. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	5. Chapter 5: BEING PUNISHED

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Ponyville Confidential

A/N: Hello, world and welcome back to _MLP: Friendship is Magic!_ It's time for the chapter that I know quite a few people have been dreading, and that is how the ponies of Ponyville react to the CMCs for all the gossip that they'd been spreading as Gabby Gums.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE: BEING PUNISHED**

Leaving the school, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were walking along the road, wondering what they were going to do in order to keep Diamond Tiara from putting those embarrassing photos in the school newspaper tomorrow.

"We'll find a way out of this, girls," Sweetie Belle promised her friends, hoping that she was right.

Scootaloo spotted the blue pegasus relaxing on a cloud, and she grinned. "Maybe Rainbow Dash will have a story for us," she suggested. "She's always good for some gossip."

Agreeing, Apple Bloom called out to the blue pegasus. "Rainbow Dash! Hey, Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow Dash, who'd been dozing, looked around and then she frowned when she saw the three fillies. "Well, if it isn't _Gabby Gums_!"

Sweetie Belle's ears drooped. "You heard too, huh?" she asked uneasily.

"Are you kidding?" the blue pegasus snapped, glaring at them. "Everypony in town knows it's you three."

"Don't suppose you'd let us write a column on you, huh?" Scootaloo offered with a nervous smile.

Retrieving a storm cloud, Rainbow Dash positioned it above the three fillies and with a grunt, she bucked it, and soon the had rain falling on them. Still scowling, she flew away.

* * *

After getting away from the storm cloud and drying themselves off, the Cutie Mark Crusaders headed over to see Fluttershy, and when they reached the door, they could hear muffled crying going on inside. Exchanging uneasy looks, Sweetie Belle knocked on the door, and it was answered by Angel.

"Oh, hi, Angel," she said politely, spotting the sobbing yellow pegasus on the couch. "Is Fluttershy home?" She flinched when Angel slammed the door shut.

* * *

Heading into town, they were walking over to the library when – _slam!_ They crashed face-first into a magical barrier that glowed pink, and they exchanged perplexed looks. Why was there a magical field preventing them from reaching the library.

"Hey, what gives?" Scootaloo asked.

One of the windows open and Spike poked his head out to glare at them. `_"A-ha!"`_ he exclaimed, his muffled. _`"Twilight thought you might try to show your faces around here, so she put up a force field."`_ And he slammed the window shut.

* * *

The Cutie Mark Crusaders headed to the Apothecary next, and they ran into another magical forcefield, which prevented them from getting too close.

"Please talk to us, Sunrise!" Apple Bloom pleaded, banging on the forcefield with one hoof, but the orange unicorn wouldn't even come out or appear at any of the windows. "Come on!" She sighed and they left to find one of the another Mane Seven.

* * *

Reaching Sweet Apple Acres, they found Applejack and Big Mac, but neither of them looked happy to see the fillies.

"Aw, c'mon, Applejack!" Apple Bloom pleaded to her big sister, who was refusing to look at her. "You're not mad at us too, are you?"

"Eeyup," said Applejack.

"You're not even gonna talk to us?" Apple Bloom asked.

Applejack shook her head. "Nnope."

"You should be ashamed of yourself, humiliatin' your sister 'n' me like that," Big Mac scolded, glaring at the three fillies. "We don't wanna talk to any o' y'all right now so take your little gossip column and your embarrassing photographs and just _go away_!" And he gestured at the gate until they walked away.

* * *

Returning to town, the Cutie Mark Crusaders flinched as the ponies refused to talk to them, and all around them, doors and windows were being slam shut. Dejected, they retreated to their treehouse, and pondered how to fix the mess they'd created with their Gabby Gams column.

"We've ruined all of our friendships and we _still _don't have our cutie marks!" Sweetie Belle complained.

"This is the worst day ever!" Apple Bloom wailed.

Scootaloo scoffed. "Oh yeah? Wait 'til tomorrow, our most embarrassing moments are about to be published for everypony to laugh at," she reminded her friends.

Apple Bloom shuddered at the thought. "So what do we do?"

"I don't know, but we're not leaving this clubhouse until we think of something!" Sweetie Belle declared, and her friends agreed.

If Diamond Tiara wanted a Gabby Gams article, then they would _give_ her a Gabby Gams article.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I had a hard time writing this particular chapter, and please don't be too angry with how Sunrise Blossom reacted by putting a magical shield around the Apothecary and refusing to even acknowledge the CMCs, for that's how even I would handle the situation if I were in her horseshoes. I will see you all on Thursday with the final chapter. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	6. Chapter 6: FORGIVENESS TIME

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Ponyville Confidential

A/N: Hello, world and welcome back to _MLP: Friendship is Magic!_ It's time for the final chapter of this story and to see what the CMCs are going to do to fix the damage caused by their gossip column and how to deal with Diamond Tiara herself. Also, I'm not at my writers' studio since all the rain that kept falling during the month of May, it got a bit flooded, so the floor is being replaced and I've had to relocate elsewhere.

Don't worry, I should have my studio back by Monday for the start of the next story. Onward!

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX: FORGIVENESS TIME**

The next morning at the school, Diamond Tiara was watching the clock and waiting for the arrival of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their article for the Gabby Gams column. After a half hour and still no sign of the three fillies, she knew that time was up and she would now take drastic actions.

"That's it, Gabby Gums is out of time," she growled, handing Shady Daze the folder with the embarrassing photos of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Run these instead. I want this paper on every street corner in Ponyville!" she added, sitting down in her seat behind the desk.

Shady Daze saluted and turned to the printer. "Yes, ma'am!"

However, the door banged open and the three fillies raced inside.

"_Stop the presses!_" Sweetie Belle called out.

"Uh… they haven't started yet," Shady Daze pointed out.

Scootaloo ignored him and held up her notebook. "We have a Gabby Gums column!" she announced, tossing it on the desk.

"Hmph, you're lucky I'm nice," Diamond Tiara said, scowling at them while Shady Daze grabbed the notebook and tossed it to the fillies at the typewriters, where they began typing, and he started the press running. "This better not happen again, or else," she warned.

* * *

Later that same day, the school yard was filled with fillies and foals reading copies of the newspaper and Diamond Tiara came outside and sighed happily.

"Well done, Diamond Tiara," she told herself with a smug expression. "You've averted yet another crisis with your amazing diplomatic skills." She glanced over at one of the newspapers and she gasped when she saw the Gabby Gams column. ""_An Open Letter to Ponyville by Gabby Gums_"?!" she shrieked, pushing the filly away so that she could read the column. "What is this?! Ooh, they're not gonna get away with this! I'll publish those photos tomorrow! They messed with the wrong pony!"

* * *

All over Ponyville, the ponies found the newspapers and they began reading the Gabby Gams column, taken aback by what it said, and they all started to smile, too.

_To the citizens of Ponyville,_

_For some time now, you've been reading this column to get the latest dirt and the hottest buzz. But this will be my final piece. We want to apologize for the pain and embarrassment we've caused._

_Y'see, I'm actually _three _little fillies, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo._

_As the popularity of our column grew, we got swept up in the hype. We knew that what we were doing didn't feel quite right, but we ignored the guilt because everypony seemed to want to read what we were writing._

_From now on, we promise to respect everypony else's privacy, and we won't engage in hurtful gossip any more._

_All we can do is ask for your forgiveness, Ponyville._

_Signing off for the very last time,_

_XOXO, Gabby Gums_

* * *

The Cutie Mark Crusaders carried a newspaper to show to Rainbow Dash, whose first reaction was to jump up and down on a rain cloud, soaking them once again, and then she saw the headline on the column. She stopped, shoved the rain cloud away, and landed so that she could read the article. Once she read it, she smiled at the three fillies and they knew that they were forgiven.

They got the same smiles from Fluttershy, who hugged them, Spike and Twilight Sparkle, Sunrise Blossom, who also hugged them, and also from Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity.

* * *

Back at the school, Cheerilee was pleased that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had redeemed themselves, but she had a few choice words for Diamond Tiara. "Well, staff, I guess I gave a little too much authority to a first-time editor," she stated, frowning at the grumpy filly. "I'm sorry, Diamond Tiara, I have to strip you of your title." And she ignored Diamond Tiara's growls. "And for the next editor of the Foal Free Press…" she continued, still ignoring Diamond Tiara when she blew a raspberry "…here's your new editor-in-chief, Featherweight!"

Featherweight entered the room and the students cheered.

"Ugh! Him? But what about _me_?!" Diamond Tiara demanded and then grunted when she suddenly fold herself holding the hat and apron for the printer position.

"Here ya go!" Shady Daze said cheerfully, now wearing the camera. "I've been promoted to staff photographer!" And he snapped a picture of Diamond Tiara, who ended up tripping and splatting into the ink while the printer started printing.

Seeing this, the Cutie Mark Crusaders laughed, and so did their classmates. Deciding that they had learned a valuable lesson, the Cutie Mark Crusaders wrote a friendship lesson that they had Spike send to Princess Celestia.

* * *

A/N: Damage control has been done, the CMCs have learned a valuable lesson, Cheerilee has stepped up _finally_ to teach Diamond Tiara a lesson, and I expect that Cheerilee will most likely have a talk with Diamond Tiara's parents, too, I know I would. Anyway, I will see you all on Monday for the start of the next story since I have work at the movie theater on both Tuesday and Thursday. Yeah, I'm gonna have to adjust my update schedule, but that's just a part of life. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


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